Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Additional police officers were patrolling Los Angeles International Airport and two other airports Wednesday after a former Transportation Security Administration employee was accused of making a false threat against LAX , authorities said .

The beefed-up patrols were also a precaution on the anniversary of the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks , police said . The two other airports are LA/Ontario International Airport in Ontario , California , and Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles , police said .

`` In light of recent events at Los Angeles International Airport involving a disgruntled former airport worker and the 9/11 anniversary tragedy , Los Angeles Airport police has enhanced the deployment of uniformed officers in and around LAX , Ontario and Van Nuys airports .

`` Officers will be highly visible on foot , bikes , motors , in patrol vehicles and managing traffic , '' Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick M. Gannon said in a statement provided by his spokeswoman .

`` The safety and security of the traveling public , employees and visitors is our priority and we encourage the traveling public to report all suspicious activity . If you see something say something , security is everybody 's business , '' Gannon said .

Nna Alpha Onuoha , a former Transportation Security Administration employee , made his initial appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon to face a count of making a false threat and a count of making threats against interstate commerce , said Thom Mrozek , a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office .

At the request of Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Josephs , the detention hearing was continued until Monday at noon PT , Mrozek said .

The two charges together carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison , he said .

Onuoha , 29 , of Inglewood , California , is a former screener with the TSA at LAX , FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said .

On Tuesday afternoon , the FBI received information from the TSA confirming that Onuoha had resigned from his position with the agency , which he had held since 2006 , Eimiller said . He was suspended between July 21 and July 27 after he reportedly told a 15-year-old girl that she should `` cover up , '' according to an FBI affidavit filed in court .

After his resignation Tuesday , Onuoha allegedly left a package at TSA 's LAX headquarters addressed to a TSA employee , the FBI said .

A bomb squad with Los Angeles Police inspected the package , Eimiller said .

It did n't hold explosives , but it did contain an eight-page letter in which Onuoha expressed his thoughts about the incident that led to his suspension and disdain for the United States , among other opinions , Eimiller said .

Later in the day , a man believed to be Onuoha contacted the TSA by telephone , instructing an employee to `` begin evacuating certain terminals at the airport , '' Eimiller said in a statement .

The caller told the employee that he would `` be watching '' to see if TSA was evacuating the terminals as he instructed , the FBI said .

A second phone call was received by TSA from a male caller , also believed to have been Onuoha , who again advised the TSA employee that specific terminals at LAX should be evacuated , the FBI said .

Police cleared the terminals , but no threats were found , the FBI said .

At Onuoha 's apartment , the FBI 's Joint Terrorism Task Force found a note taped inside a closet containing an unspecified threat citing the 9/11 anniversary .

The handwritten message said : `` 09/11/2013 THERE WILL BE FIRE ! FEAR ! FEAR ! FEAR ! '' according to the FBI affidavit filed in court .

After waiving his Miranda rights , Onuoha told the FBI that the note referred to how he intended to start preaching in the streets on September 11 , 2013 , court papers said . He also told the FBI that he did n't intend for the statements in the phone calls to LAX to be threats .

Onuoha was arrested outside Los Angeles , in Riverside , California , by task force members assisted by Riverside police , authorities said .

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NEW : Ex-TSA employee leaves note : `` 09/11/2013 THERE WILL BE FIRE ! FEAR ! FEAR ! FEAR ! ''

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NEW : He tells FBI the note refers to his plan to start street-preaching on that date

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Former TSA employee at LAX quits Tuesday after earlier being suspended

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More police are on patrol at LAX , LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys airports